Economic freedom works gradually.
Because this comes up far too often, sometimes jokingly, but also far too often as a serious argument:
No "Real Capitalism" Needed
No, as a capitalist you do NOT have to hide behind "...that wasn't real capitalism" unlike the commies.
Advocates of free markets don't need to cope with some unattainable utopia.
Every Step Counts
Every single step toward freedom makes people a little bit happier and a little bit richer.
This is the fundamental difference from socialist ideologies, which claim their system must be implemented "completely" to work.
No Saturation in Sight
By the way, no saturation or reversal of this rule is foreseeable.
Even the economically comparatively freest countries can therefore rightfully be accused of still being too unfree, without having to fall into contradiction or cope.
The Empirical Advantage
This gradual effect is empirically verifiable and demonstrable:
- More economic freedom â higher prosperity
- This correlation is robust and applies worldwide
- It applies regardless of the starting level
Conclusion
Market economy is not an all-or-nothing principle. Every deregulation, every tax cut, every reduction of state intervention shows measurable positive effects.
This makes the position of free market advocates fundamentally stronger than that of socialists, who must point to an unattainable utopia when their systems fail.
We can simply say: "More freedom is better. And even more freedom would be even better."
